Giant Cinnamon Roll TurBUN

Using sweet rich Soufa bread to create one giant sweet roll in the the shape of a turban. Shared by Taunya Otten of Barex Dairy, Gunnison Utah, the recipe was her Great Grandma Gilgen’s Soufa (Züpfe) bread. The rich ingredients make it perfect for sweet rolls. Recipe makes 2 cast iron pan giant cinnamon turbans, or two loaves of bread (or 24 dinner rolls).

Yields: 2 Loaves

Ingredients

Bread Ingredients

½ cup warm water

1 package dry active yeast (scant tablespoon)

2 cups milk (I prefer whole milk)

½ cup butter (1 stick)

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ teaspoons salt

7-8 cups flour

1 tablespoon dough enhancer, optional

Filling Ingredients:

¼ cup butter, softened

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

⅓ cup raisins (to taste) or 2 tablespoons cinnamon chips

Glaze Ingredients:

¼ cup butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash salt

3-5 tablespoons milk

Directions

Stir yeast into warm water; set aside.

Scald milk (heat until bubbles form around edge of pan, but it does boil); pour hot milk in large mixing bowl, add ½-cup butter, stir to melt. Stir in ½-cup sugar and cool to lukewarm (temperature of a baby’s bottle). Add warm water and yeast; beat in eggs and salt, mix well. Beat in about 5-6 cups flour and the optional dough enhancer; gradually knead in enough more flour to make a soft dough, but firm enough to handle and the texture is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a clean greased bowl, cover with a clean dish towel and allow to rise until double in bulk.

Remove dough from bowl, place on a floured surface and knead to remove air bubbles. Divide dough in half; roll each piece of dough into 10x20 inch rectangle. Spread each rectangle with 2-tablespoons softened butter. Mix together ¼-cup sugar and the cinnamon, sprinkle half over each buttered rectangle dough. Sprinkle dough with raisins or cinnamon chips (or both).

Using a pizza cutter, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 4 equal strips. Loosely roll first strip, place roll on second strip and continue to roll; repeat with 3rd and 4th strips making one giant cinnamon roll. Place giant cinnamon roll in prepared pan. Cover roll loosely with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes while oven is preheating. Bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven, place on cooling rack and brush top with melted butter if desired.

Note: the addition of cinnamon chips and dough enhancer are Taunya’s modern additions to Grandma Gilgen's recipe for flavor and to increase the shelf life of the bread.

Taunya Otten, Barex Dairy Farm in Gunnison Utah shared this recipe. She loved the memories of her great grandma Gilgen’s kitchen and the smell of baking bread wafting through the house.

Grandma Gilgen came from Switzerland where her mother taught her to make bread – without a recipe (which is often the case)! When Grandma Gilgen married she was given a cookbook as a wedding gift – where she wrote down her mother’s recipe. Taunya loved the recipe and the memories so much she translated the recipe for her modern kitchen and connected with all your grandmothers who made this bread for their families. Her mother helped Taunya with the translation by telling her how it should look and taste. To add to the more memories – Taunya recently restored her paternal grandmothers old cook stove and had it installed in her kitchen/family room. She now bakes her maternal great grandma's bread in her paternal great grandma’s stove. When Taunya bakes – which she does multiple times each week – she makes extra and always gives it away to neighbors and community. This recipe was featured during Studio 5 Season 12 live audience kick-off. Taunya is second from the left. With her are her mother Kathy Brown, and sisters.

Braided Swiss Bread
Soufa (Züpfe) Bread is traditionally a braided Swiss bread. To braid the bread, follow directions above through kneading and dividing the dough in half. Divide each half into 3 equal pieces; roll each piece into a rope about 12 inches long. Lay the 3 ropes side by side; start in the middle and braid the ropes together, turn and braid opposite end. Tuck ends under and place braid in standard loaf pan. Follow directions above for resting and baking.

Alternate “Twisted” Cinnamon Ring
Fun way to create a beautiful cinnamon roll twist. Follow directions above through the dividing of the dough and rolling into two rectangles. Spread with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll each rectangle into a roll, as if for individual cinnamon rolls. Using a sharp knife, but the roll in half lengthwise. Lay each half with cut side up. Twist together each half as if making a two strand braid. Place the twist into prepared pan creating a ring. Follow directions above for resting and baking.

What is ‘dough enhancer?’
That question usually means what is “commercial dough enhancer.” Dough is basically flour, water and leavening (yeast). The addition of any other ingredients to improve the texture, taste, shelf life, or crumb is an enhancer. So, for example: milk makes a more tender crumb and a finer texture - it is a dough enhancer; sugar helps the bread to brown and feeds the yeast producing a higher volume loaf - it is a dough enhancer; butter improves the tenderness and flavor - it is a dough enhancer; salt improves the taste and keeps the yeast in check - it is a dough enhancer.
Commercial dough enhancers improve the quality and shelf life of the bread. They may include a mixture of whey, lecithin, cornstarch, honey or sugar, ascorbic acid and or citric acid. It is optional in the bread, you may achieve the same results using your bread ingredients. Using dough enhancer is like getting a jump start on a the bread.